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tarrtime « The most sounds in one pedal, period. »
Published on 12/10/12 at 06:04The POD X3 is an amp sim/multi-effects pedal from Line 6. It uses all digital signal processing. Getting started is as easy as plugging in your guitar and headphones, then stepping on the foot-switches to jump between presets. The software application for the POD X3 has always given me problems. I think there are some 'bugs' in the way it downloads the presents to the foot pedal. Normally, I recommend using a software editor with a GUI. However, with the problems, I find it easier just to tweak the knobs on the pedal whenever I want to make changes.
UTILIZATION
There is a learning curve when starting out with the POD X3. There are tons and tons of options to edit the internal processing like: amp EQ, speaker models, microphones, effects pedals, parallel signal chains, etc. This requires scrolling through a lot of menus when looking at the screen on the pedal. It can take a while to figure out how to get to the right place to edit what you want. After you figure this out, this pedal is capable of a ridiculous amount of different sounds.
SOUND QUALITY
Amp simulation isn't perfect. The Line 6 X3 sounds convincing, especially if it is in the context of a full band. Still, it only gets the guitar player most of the way to the experience of playing through a real amp. To me, the best use of these kinds of effects pedals is in the studio to experiment with a ton of different sounds without having to completely change your setup. If you play live in a cover band, it might be useful to be able to switch between a lot of different sounds as well.
OVERALL OPINION
Although Line 6 has released a new line of PODs (the HD series), the POD X3 still has some useful aspects. I really the Matchless, Orange, Budda, etc. amp sims in the X3, but they are missing in the HD series. Hopefully, Line 6 updates the firmware of the HD series in the future with more amp models. Until then, the X3 has the most number of different amp simulations, well over +100. This alone should attract the true tweakheads.
UTILIZATION
There is a learning curve when starting out with the POD X3. There are tons and tons of options to edit the internal processing like: amp EQ, speaker models, microphones, effects pedals, parallel signal chains, etc. This requires scrolling through a lot of menus when looking at the screen on the pedal. It can take a while to figure out how to get to the right place to edit what you want. After you figure this out, this pedal is capable of a ridiculous amount of different sounds.
SOUND QUALITY
Amp simulation isn't perfect. The Line 6 X3 sounds convincing, especially if it is in the context of a full band. Still, it only gets the guitar player most of the way to the experience of playing through a real amp. To me, the best use of these kinds of effects pedals is in the studio to experiment with a ton of different sounds without having to completely change your setup. If you play live in a cover band, it might be useful to be able to switch between a lot of different sounds as well.
OVERALL OPINION
Although Line 6 has released a new line of PODs (the HD series), the POD X3 still has some useful aspects. I really the Matchless, Orange, Budda, etc. amp sims in the X3, but they are missing in the HD series. Hopefully, Line 6 updates the firmware of the HD series in the future with more amp models. Until then, the X3 has the most number of different amp simulations, well over +100. This alone should attract the true tweakheads.